


jun’s steamy balloon

by rippedjuns



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Fluff, Greasier than a McDonalds burger, M/M, Pilot!Junhui, Royal Complications, Slow Burn, Time Travel, because that’s the way i roll, lapslock, let’s hope I do this genre and junshua justice, slight comedy, steampunk!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-15 03:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13022334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rippedjuns/pseuds/rippedjuns
Summary: it’s kind of awkward when an attractive yet idiotic stranger takes you on a supposedly inoperative blimp, claims that you are the prince of a steampunk universe, and tells you that you have to save the world with little time to spare.joshua hong can surprisingly relate.





	1. encounters

not ever in his life had joshua ever heard of steampunk. it sounded like some sort of weird religion to him where people do drugs and head bang to neck deep, or maybe some cult where they cook food and give their sacrifices insults.

it sounded scary to him, with the thoughts of kidnapping and other sins creating tornados in his mind. what would the personalities of these people be? they could be hippies, or emos, or even nerds. it was impossible to pinpoint specifics from just research, for they seemed to be quite mysterious people. hiding behind top hats and black-out glasses, sitting in their ships with clocks hiding every wall. it would feel like an exam hall to joshua, bringing back all his high-school-finals anxiety. these creatures that associate themselves with the steampunk culture, they never seemed to see the light of day, according to everyone except those who enjoy the lifestyle.

because of these thoughts, he was definitely afraid when jeonghan invited him to a steampunk fair.

jeonghan was an odd guy, to say the least. he didn’t seem secluded or isolated in any way - in fact, he was quite the opposite. party animal would be a good way to put it, being the only guy within his small friendship group who can hold down soju and beer in the same night without needing to throw his whole stomach up a few hours later. vociferous, joshua would always struggle to fit a word in edgeways, or longways, or sideways. sometimes, just sometimes, joshua wished he had a needle and thread, just so he can slip stitch jeonghan’s mouth shut. never was there a night where jeonghan wasn’t chatting up a young single (probably scarring the poor lad for life with the idiot’s dancing), and there was many a night where he would even take the boy home. nevertheless, joshua always had the last laugh, as jeonghan would return to the latter single once again.

he didn’t seem like the type to enjoy steampunk, being the human form of a carnival, but joshua began to doubt himself as jeonghan stepped out of his bedroom, adorn in a suit and top hat.

turns out he was trying to get a guy back. someone called seungcheol, if he recalled correctly.

but of course, to not seem suspicious, jeonghan just had to invite joshua along. the only problem: if this was any normal friendship, joshua could just refuse, but they had made a pact in school to ‘ _willingly help one another get the booty, no matter the cost._ ’ joshua despises his fifteen year old mind for agreeing with this ludicrous idea.

so there they were, outside the seoul steampunk spectacular, dressed like nincompoops from the nineteenth century.

“you know i hate long sleeved shirts, han.” joshua groaned once again, pulling down his rising sleeves that wanted to shrivel up to his upper arm and probably die. joshua could relate on a spiritual level.

“yeah, but i look good in black.” jeonghan smirked at himself, looking up and winking at the ticket dealer. the man remained unfazed. “if you don’t like it, then there’s always the dress.”

“you know, i found something that i hate more than this shirt, jeonghan.”

“ooooh what is it? let’s roast the hell out of-“

“you.”

scoffing, jeonghan sped up his pace as they walked into the building, joshua coming eye to eye with the event as a whole. jeonghan had already left him on his ventures into the wilderness to find the rare seungcheol, leaving joshua stranded at the entrance, addled at the warm vibe of the fair compared to the goosebump-worthy winter outside. there was a clear aesthetic set in stone within the fair, and it literally felt as if he had stepped into a mood board from tumblr. everyone was wandering around, playing their part in this role play like situation, admiring everyone’s different machinery. fake soot had been sprayed across the wooden floorboards, as well as up walls and somehow even on the ceiling. for some reason, it made the place feel more warm and welcoming, and it was probably because it left him reminiscing his weekends in his father’s car workshop, creating towers out of old nuts and bolts and knocking them down afterwards as if he was some godzilla figure compared to the mini screw people below.

he had already paid 30,000won to get in, he might as well make it worthwhile. bloody jeonghan and his lustful desires.

he could feel his neck being tied up by the rings of smoke emitted from the machines, only choking him slightly. he was lucky that his outfit came with a doily, because he was tempted to tap it to his lower face to prevent breathing in the fumes. people were separated in bundles around exhibits, all trying to catch a glimpse of the beauties of the past centuries. the clogs were rusted, needing a clean for sure in joshua’s eyes, but the sound of the metal gliding past each other so effortlessly was definitely something satsifying and pleasing to the ear. there wasn’t any pauses in the movement (probably because it was lubricated with some sort of oil beforehand), and the sensation that surprisingly swam through joshua’s body could simply put him to sleep. once again, it reminded him of his father, who joshua was an apprentice to for quite a few years. the late nights where he would stay up to finish a car his father wasn’t able to complete were replaying like an old vcr in his head, and he was in absolute shock at how a simple noise could trigger such a memory.

he had abandoned engineering and mechanics a while ago, to take a career in law and human rights.

he was sure it hurt his father, but he wasn’t on a leash. joshua had to be set free one day or another.

deciding to dawdle for a bit longer before jeonghan frantically called him, joshua headed nearer the back of the gathering, where it was more peaceful, and people weren’t running up to his to advertise their food stall or their engineering business. he knew how to fix a car, it wasn’t rocket science. after slam-dunking the leaflets in the nearest bin, he pulled down again on his sleeves, which must be some sort of satan spawn because they just wouldn’t stay in place. they actually reminded joshua of jeonghan, if he was going to be honest, for the boy couldn’t just keep his feet on the ground for one second, and had to explore wherever they were. it was irritating, as (although jeonghan would call himself the mother figure) joshua would go running about, chasing the older down until they coincidentally bumped into one another. joshua was dreading going home, as you can tell.

there was only one exhibit at the back of the convention centre, and if joshua was going to be honest, it was one of the most extravagant pieces of metalwork that he had seen in his entire life. looking like something from a storybook, the blimp stood proud and tall, the upper rims of the balloon section brushing its edges against the ceiling. he could just about identify the fire crate wedged between the material balloon and the sonorous cage for passengers beneath, which would breathe out steam to power the monster. the outside of the gondola seemed a bit tacky to joshua, the material needing a good dollop of washing liquid and a sponge to bring back the silver glow that would hold your face in its malleable curves. but then, it’s not his ship to say so, meaning he couldn’t go and grab his desired equipment from the janitors closet and go ham on the blimp. other than that, it seemed like quite a unique and well-maintained, and that the owner must take a lot of pride in his craft. all of these pieces of machinery must’ve been made by hand, and joshua would applaud the creator of such an aesthetically pleasing blimp like the one in front of him.

he felt drawn to it for some reason, like it was fate that he was meant to see this blimp, but he couldn’t put his finger on a specific reason. his waist was tied by an invisible rope, much like the real one that anchored the ship to the ground. he was anchored to the flying machine. but why? did the machine just fascinate him so much that he just so desperately wanted to make an instagram row out of this moment? or did joshua feel a complete connection to it, like someone would with family and friends? the answer seemed unclear with the fog of thoughts and theories blocking the way, but he hoped that soon, maybe after he’s taken a few photos, he might be able to conclude his question with a resolution.

so, he took out his phone from his pocket, wiping down the screen and camera lens with his cotton sleeve, and positioned himself to capture the perfect view. the whole length of the ship was in perfect view, with each cog and spec of metal being caught by the flash erupting from the phone. he pressed the button a few times, trying different angles and different areas of focus, ready to decide on the perfect three to post on his feed. he could see the caption already: 

> _‘@yoonjh, you owe me 25k, because my face in this isn’t half bad’._

albeit, his face wasn’t the only one in some of the photos. a guy had opened the splinter-prone wooden door from the inside, and stepped out, beckoning joshua inside.

“your majesty! thank god i’ve found you!” he called, joshua raising an eyebrow. this guy must be on something to think that he was royalty. “you must come quick! we need to get you home!”

“nice role play, but can you mind a little so i can get this angle right?” joshua huffed, puffing out his cheeks as he repositioned his phone, just as the mysterious man bolted up to him. his eyes were doll-like, glossy and a perfect circle. joshua had to admit, if his eyes were the circles that he had to solve in mathematics, he probably would’ve paid a lot more attention in class. the contours of his face seemed so natural, but then, he only properly saw the guy’s face in a split second before turning back to his phone. his hold on joshua’s wrist was firm, yet also soothing, and he noticed that the man’s other hand was fiddling with something around the head area.

“your majesty! we cannot waste any time!” his tone sounded more anxious, the man beginning drag joshua in the direction of the blimp. his build seemed like one of a boxer, or at least someone who worked out fairly often, so he had no problem pulling joshua from his original spot.

“sir i really do think you are mistaken, i have no royal blood in me at all!” pleaded joshua once again, hoping to get himself out of the situation. this was how he was going to die: being kidnapped by a weirdo in a top hat and circular glasses whilst dressed as someone from the victorian era. how splendid.

the man had stopped, turning around with slight agitation in the backs of his pupils. this guy didn’t seem like the other people at the convention for some reason when their eyes met. guilt began to settle in joshua’s stomach for some reason, was this the man’s intention? “please, your majesty, we need to get you back, or else your father is going to be in such a rage and it is not going to be pretty. even if you aren’t who i think you are, my radars started going thoroughly insane when you stepped within a short radius of clarissa. just please come with me, your majesty.”

joshua looked behind him, at the free-flowing convention hall, and at how the crowds crashed into one another like waves, commuting around all the stalls and exhibits they had to offer. jeonghan was somewhere out there, chatting up some guy he’s met once. he pivoted his head back to the man, who had gulped quite a few times consecutively throughout joshua’s mental debating session. he doesn’t even know the guy’s name, yet for some reason, something in his heart is telling him to trust the guy with the maroon blazer.

if jeonghan can do it whilst drunk, then why can’t he soberly do the same?

“fine, sir, as long as nothing bad happens to me.” joshua finally caved in, the man jumping on the spot for a short while in happiness, his grin showcased a set of iceberg teeth - despite a gold canine for some reason. there would be time to ask about these things later, hopefully. he should be out of this in no time, right?

“thank you so much, your majesty!” the man’s muscle-popping heaves drew them both to the door of the ship, although they were assisted by joshua actually following the man this time. “i shall do formal introductions on clarissa once we’re cruising, as i can see that you’ve forgotten who i am!”

joshua didn’t really care about who the guy was at the moment. he just wanted to make sure he could get out of this alive. and maybe get this guy some chill pills.

_‘this is going to be a long day.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don’t know much about the whole steampunk universe, so do feel free to leave some information that could be useful in the comments! i’ll be scanning the internet for clothes, other inventions, different items etc
> 
> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ☆thank you for reading!☆


	2. introductions

when people say that if things look small on the outside, they’ll be gigantic on the inside, most people conclude it as a myth. something that cannot be physically possible. how can a room increase in volume in a matter of seconds?

joshua stood corrected. it was possible.

the man opened that same dangerous door that could slit skin open with its rotting, prickly oakwood to reveal something extraordinary. it was like a studio apartment, but for a gondola. a pirate ship wheel began to slowly spin when the draft from the outside hit it with force, and the desk surrounding it was dressed in various buttons and switches, most unknown to joshua. he’d only needed to know how to turn on his car and how to turn the heating up, if he was honest. the windscreen was in a trapezium shape, and it was surprisingly clean despite the lack of windshield wipers. turning to his left now, he was presented with a row or two of chairs, one much more cushioned than the rest, and adorned in jewels. at the back there was a marble kitchen, so glossy that when joshua stared amongst the decorative cracks in the chiffon countertop, he could spot his complexion in the reflection - full of breakouts, much to his hatred. the walls once were burgundy, but the paint was starting to peel off like dried, dead skin, needing revival from a moisturiser (or in this case, a new layer of paint). it needed something badly.

other than that unfortunate instance, the place seemed quite welcoming to joshua, much like the guy who inherits it. he takes a seat on a swivel chair that was awaiting his return, and gestures for joshua to sit down. he’s never been spoilt for choice on anything, let alone a chair.

“your majesty,” joshua can’t help to let out a small giggle, as the man smiles at him. “maybe you’d like to take a seat on your velvet chair?”

not resisting an offer, joshua rushes over to the reclining seat, melting into the memory foam beneath and behind. sighing contently, his eyes move back to lock with the man’s, waiting for the next set of words to be spoken by one or the other.

“do you want to introduce yourself first, or should i?” he asked, reaching his fingertips over his should to calm the non-existent itch on his nape. “i haven’t really talked to many people over the past few months - or was it years? - so do you want to start?”

overwhelmed, joshua cleared his throat. “my name’s joshua, i’m twenty years old, and yeah that’s about it.” then, he bowed in his seat, remembering that it was a sign of respect in korea.

“...wow is that all it takes to introduce yourself?” he was genuinely shocked, his expression causing another set of giggles to slide out from joshua’s lips. “well then, i am wen junhui, the extravagant pilot from aeroburgh!” the man bowed, his hat floating off from his scalp in the process, and a pink, laced piece of fabric hopping out from the hollowed out material.

“umm, mr wen, is that...lingerie?” joshua questioned, the entirety of junhui’s face burning into a flaming blush as he rushed to pick up the fabric.

“umm no it’s not, your majesty! just my doily, haha!” he tried to chuckle his way out of the situation, but junhui shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and the obvious avoidance of eye contact with joshua clearly presented the facts to the boy. that was now yet another question added to the scroll of queries surrounding this whole dilemma.

“whatever you say junnie,” joshua was smiling, and he watched the pilot waddle back to the main station before turning on the ignition. junhui thought his face was going to explode. he had never had someone say his name so sweetly before, let alone give him a nickname. “do you know twenty questions?”

eyes fixed on the buttons in front of him, junhui’s eyebrows furrowed. “umm, what do you mean? ... wait, is this an interrogation? i swear, your majesty, i’ve done nothing wrong!”

damn, joshua could get used to this. five minutes into meeting this guy, and because of his apparent status, he has junhui wrapped around his little finger.

“it’s nothing, honestly junhui. just a couple of questions to each in order to get to know one another better!” shuffling to get comfortable in his seat, joshua watched junhui turn around, positioning his circular glasses on the bridge of his nose to make sure they don’t jump off like a trapeze artist, swinging by his chest as they await to be placed back onto the tightrope. “me first! can you play an instrument?”

“i, i can play the piano.” junhui shyly smiled, looking up at joshua and his beaming eyes. “what’s your favourite song?”

“definitely heaven by exo,” swiftly, joshua answered, without having to consider the idea for a second. “i just love their vocals and harmonies and just everything about the song. it never fails to make me smile...or laugh!” he giggles again, causing junhui to follow quietly in suit.

gosh, was that prince adorable, junhui thought to himself.

⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️

“you used to be a black belt?” joshua was extremely giddy at this moment in time, as the final question was answered. maybe he had too much diet coke? the supposed monarch wasn’t too sure as to what the source was, but he was excited with this specific game of twenty questions. each answer to each of the questions - especially junhui’s answers - caused joshua’s smile to blossom into its full potential unconsciously. possibly, he was over-exaggerating his actions to seem as if he was devoting his whole attention, but he was so immersed in the conversation that it couldn’t possibly be true. it was like he and junhui had been friends for years.

“i was the best in my class, until this smug kid came in and pushed me off of my podium.” junhui pulled a pout at the memory enhancing into view within his mind, the childish side of junhui that had been introduced making joshua giggle again. “it was unfair! especially as all of my hard work was just pushed aside for him to come along and steal the spotlight like he was an angel or something.”

joshua was wheezing, clutching his stomach as junhui continued to fatuously complained about his situation. junhui was acting like a complete fool, but joshua found quite sweet. this newly found friend of his may seem to talk for years on end, but he seemed like someone he’d want to have around. now, with this whole royal situation, it would be splendid to have someone with a black belt in karate as a bodyguard, if he was fairly honest.

once junhui’s protesting died down, and joshua calmed himself at last, they sat there in the echoing silence. junhui was shocked at himself. was he finally making a friend? of course, clarissa would be an exception to that question, but as in a living, breathing, human friend? his smile rested more naturally on his lips, and his pupils felt as if they were slowly beginning to expand in the broad daylight (which wasn’t what was supposed to happen, according to magazines).

he could tell that joshua was slightly nervous, despite his active attitude to the whole situation. the biting of the lip, which left a tiny number of crimson marks lining his bottom lip. the badminton rally that his eyes played, the rackets being junhui’s face, which turned and looked around the room when not realising, and the floor by his sneakers, which left marks on the wood from where he consistently massaged the it with his soles. the exaggerated hand motions, becoming larger as each second passed. didn’t joshua know that he wasn’t going to hurt him? well, obviously it would be an inch creepy to instantly take a liking to someone who forced them on a ship and denied them of abandoning the vehicle until they arrived at their destination.

‘this really is making me sound like a kidnapper’, junhui sighed in his head, trying to keep the tranquil quietude flowing throughout the entirety of the living area that clarissa had to offer. ‘how do i make this seem more comfortable for him?’

“are you feeling peckish, your majesty?” raising up from his seat to stretch his numbing legs, he began to stride towards the conjoining kitchen, floorboards groaning at each step. he had always wondered what they were trying to scream to him: ‘take a shower!’; ‘be productive!’; ‘get closer with him!’. albeit, he ignored him like normal, for floorboards were no boss of junhui.

“quite a bit actually,” joshua sat up, crossing his legs, knees bouncing up and down on the chair. “also, do you have to call me ‘your majesty’ every time you desire my attention? i may not even be the heir to the throne!”

“i mean, it’s a sign of respect to the royal family, so i kind of feel obliged to do so. either way, it would be a nice story to tell the grandchildren when you’re older, if you put it that way.” stirring around the metal spoon in the milk, whirlpools of the chilling liquid began to spiral into view as junhui explained himself. “but of course, if you want to be called something different whilst we’re not in the town, then i’ll be happy to follow through with your decision.”

joshua had to think about that for a second. for quite a large section of his life, he was always looked down upon, undergoing circumstances where he was inferior compared to others. joshua hong: the thin boy who sings to himself and is practically an orphan. it wasn’t absolutely true, for his mother was still around at the time of these events. but his father was long gone by that time, and he was still unsure as to why he had so suddenly, without even saying goodbye. his mother never said why either. some of them teenagers at school then started calling him a baby for getting emotional during school after the first few months of finding out m, but then how could he help it? at that point in his life, he felt the worst he could ever feel, so he was just so grateful for still having someone as affectionate as jeonghan around to support him.

maybe, for once in his life, he could be at the top of the world for once, gazing down upon the people who have impacted his life in the horrific ways that they did. your majesty. it always made him giggle when junhui said that to him, not just because it sounded so beautiful yet odd coming from his mouth so promptly after their first encounter, but it was because of the irony. the idea that he - the quiet boy from the back of the class - was apparently now the top dog, the big man, the prince. what a coincidence.

anyways, he kind of liked the way it played on junhui’s lips, with his thick accent and articulate way of words.

“no no, i like your majesty, actually.” he failed to contain his giggle once again, “but if you ever want to call me something else, then i’m usually referred to as shua.”

“okay, your majesty shua.” joshua could feel junhui’s smirk piercing into the back of his head from the kitchen behind. “that reminds me, earlier, you called me ‘junnie’...”

“yeah, if i get a nickname, you deserve one as well.” joshua carried on facing forward, as he was actually hoping that junhui had let that slide. “do you not like it? likewise, i can always change it for yo-“

“-no. it’s fine.” junhui’s tea stirring began to decelerate, the church bell chime made by the spoon on the china reducing its noise levels. “actually, no ones really ever given me a nickname before, i kind of like it as well.”

the room had fallen into that same spa serenity like before, but joshua pushed himself up from the velvet chair (despite his desire to stay superglued to the seat for the rest of his life), and glided across the floor a little more wearily than before, trying to remember where junhui had pointed out where the bed he would be retiring in slept. observing him go by, junhui pointed out in his mind that joshua seemed to have lost a large chunk of energy that he had just five minutes ago. what kind of thinking was he performing in his brain? why was he taking so long to answer a simple question? was he uncomfortable with junhui? was he only being sympathetic for junhui and his slight insanity?

he was probably overreacting, but the thoughts didn’t seem to wash away from the backs of his brain.

maybe joshua is pulling a complete act. maybe he is just pretending because of fear. maybe he doesn’t even like junhui. maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spicin’ up the junshua tag with a second chapter! 
> 
> nothing much exciting really happens here to be honest. whoops sorry.
> 
> i don’t know how many chapters i want this fic to be, maybe 15 or less (because i can’t stay dedicated-)? what do you guys think?
> 
> also thank you for leaving comments! they do make me smile a lot :D

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ☆thank you for reading!☆


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